Finding the right app or software developer can make the difference between project success or catastrophic failure.
A remote developer is someone who works from a remote location but virtually within a development company. These software developers have the same roles as full-time developers, working as remote developers.
Below, we will discuss what you need to look for when hiring iOS or Android app developers for your company.
Benefits of Hiring Remote Developers
Hiring dedicated developers can increase the business goals of being cost-effective and increasing productivity. They can also contribute to the overall success of the company by providing various talents and skills.
Where to Find Remote Developers?
Remote developers can be found on remote job boards, tech communities and industry publications. Popular platforms such as Upwork, Toptal, PeoplePerHour, and Freelancer allow companies to hire freelance developers to work on projects remotely.
Define Your Project Requirements
You need to clearly define the project requirements before you hire a remote developer. There are some aspects you need to take into consideration to help you understand the scope of the app you are developing so that you hire the right software developer.
What type of app are you creating? Are you looking for mobile app development or someone to build a web application? Perhaps you are in the market for a remote software developer who can do both.
Since each type of app will require its own set of requirements and programming languages, knowing what is required of software developers will help them understand the job description.
Identify your target audience and the market for which this app will be created. Consider who will be using this app by conducting market research to understand what your desired target audience is struggling with and how you can address their pain points.
Figure out what the core functions and features of the app will be. You should also outline the user experience and how you want the design to look.
Technical specifications of each app you want to create should also be discussed. This will help guide skilled remote software developers through the development process.
Here are some questions to help you identify the technical specifications of the app.
- What are the programming languages and frameworks required to create the app?
- Will your app be integrated with existing systems or APIs?
- How will the app perform and is it scalable?
- How many security measures are you implementing?
- What times of testing will be done to determine the quality of the app?
Evaluate Technical Skills
You need to evaluate the technical expertise of each candidate to ensure that you hire remote developers who are able to do their job, and not rely on other remote workers to assist them.
Here are some ways you can review their technical expertise to determine if they are experienced developers:
Do skill assessment tests: This method is effective for evaluating the software developer’s knowledge of software proficiency, programming languages and technical methodologies needed to perform well in the role.
Provide candidates with a technical interview process which consists of answering case studies or scenarios that require problem-solving to show their expertise level in real-time.
Ask for certifications or qualifications to review their level of education. You can also check for practical experience from working at other software development companies.
Assess their portfolios to get a sense of the type of work they are able to do. A portfolio will show a variety of completed software designs and creativity levels. You can also get a sense of project documentation to evaluate whether the candidate was able to understand their role in the project, what solutions they used to the problems and what the final result was.
A portfolio will also help you understand the quality and standards of the developer’s coding capabilities. This will help show the developer’s coding skills with regard to maintainability, readability, and if they adhere to the industry standards.
Assess Communication Skills
Having great communication skills is important, especially, for remote software developers working on a remote team. Since remote work is the new way companies are hiring employees being able to effectively communicate will determine the success of projects.
Evaluating the candidates language proficiency is necessary to understand what their level of communication is and if they are fluent in the same languages that the remote software development team uses.
You can do this by doing a language skills assessment which can include written tests, verbal tests or practical exercises to see if team members speak different languages and which language is their strongest. A diverse team can benefit from people speaking the same language to make their communication clearer.
It is important that candidates are able to understand context and not just the spoken language.
Some other language tests can include using situational exercises or role-playing to see how candidates will handle real-life issues and how they would communicate them to colleagues.
Here are some of the reasons why clear communication styles will enhance the remote development team productivity.
Build Relationships
It builds relationships among the remote developers team and in-house developers. Having team members who regularly check in with each other and communicate their needs for software development will enhance the overall working environment.
Conflict Resolution
Having clear communication in place for the remote team can help solve any conflict and avoid unnecessary conflict altogether. Any issues can be addressed immediately with room for improvement in the way the software development team communicate.
Clarity of Expectations
Clear communication among the software development team will allow each team member to understand their roles and responsibilities as a remote developer. Emphasis deadlines and ensure that each person is held accountable to ensure that the work is completed.
Collaboration and Team Dynamics
Remote work means that team members will often work together virtually. With clear communication, there will be little room for errors or misunderstandings as everyone is clear on what is expected of them which will make collaboration easier and allow for efficient project management.
Tools and Methods for Effective Communication
- Vide conferencing tools: Examples of these tools are Microsoft teams, Zoom or Google Meet to allow for face-to-face interaction among team members.
- Chat platforms: Instant messaging platforms such as Discord or Slack can help for efficient communication and for file sharing and project collaboration.
- Project management tools: These tools make communication and helps with project organisation. Examples of these tools include Asana, Trello and Monday.com.
Consider Time Zone and Availability
Since the job is remote work, time zone and availability are important factors to consider when you hire a remote developer. Teams will be made up of people who are based in various locations and these may lead to delay in communication or different working hours.
Time zones can pose a challenge for collaboration. Having a remote team that works in the same time zone remotely will help solve this issue. However, to accommodate team members who live in different time zones, flexible working hours can enable employees to work out a schedule to highlight which times they are most productive in.
Meetings and updates should be held in time zones where the most employees can attend, and these times can be rotated to ensure that different regions are accommodated.
Look for Problem-Solving Abilities
It is important that the candidate has problem solving abilities especially since they work remotely and may not have someone close by to help should they run into trouble.
Here is the list of reasons why it is important that the candidate be adaptable and creative:
The candidate needs to be able to adapt to the landscape of the work and how often it changes within the market, customer needs and the advancements of technology. They also need to be creative and solve problems that may require unconventional solutions. Adding innovative features to an app will only enhance the user experience, therefore a creative approach will help minimise struggle and help overcome development challenges.
Check References and Reviews
Checking references and reviews is an important step of the hiring process. Since the freelance economy is very competitive, you can get a better sense of the candidates work experience by contacting their references.
Here are a list of reasons why it is important to verify past work experiences:
- You can get a credible assessment of the type of worker the candidate is and learn about their skills and experience.
- References will help provide insight to the candidates work ethic, interpersonal skills and reliability. This can help you understand how well they have performed in previous job settings and help you predict how they may perform in a future work environment.
- You can also learn about whether the candidate will be a good cultural fit for the business. This involves having a good work ethic, aligning with company values and having a collaboration style that promotes productivity.
- Checking references can help you avoid the risk of hiring a software developer that may not meet the job expectations.
Have a list of questions ready before contacting references, first find out all the information from the candidate such as their skills, work habits and contributions to team and then contact their references to find out if any of the responses are different to what the candidate has mentioned.
You can follow up on the candidate after speaking to their references to clarify any questions you may have.
You can also use online platforms to check for ratings and reviews based off the candidates freelance portfolio.
Freelance platforms such as Upwork have a feature for reviews and ratings that previous clients can use to share their working experience. You can review a candidates profile if they are on these platforms to help understand their method and quality of work.
Professional networking platforms such as Linkedin is another platform that can be used to review candidates.
Discuss Project Management
Knowing if the candidate is able to manage their own project is important since they will be working on their individual assignments often. Find out if they are familiar with project management tools such as Trello, Jira, and Asana. These are some of the popular project management tools used in software development.
Next, you need to find out if they understand agile methodologies. Here are some key aspects of agile methodologies:
- Iterative Development: This promotes breaking up the project into manageable parts called sprints. Teams will then focus on delivering the functional components of the project first to get more done by allowing adjustments and feedback for tackling the rest of the project.
- Collaboration: Closely collaborating with customers, stakeholders and cross-functional teams by regularly holding meetings to ensure that the project goal is met.
- Customer-Centric Approach: Customers should be the center when working on the project so consistent adaptations to the project to ensure customer usability is key.
Candidates should also be able to meet deadlines and manage tasks effectively. Here are some key strategies to look out for:
- Candidate has great time management skills by meeting realistic deadlines by allocating and using resources wisely.
- Candidate is good at monitoring progress and can make adjustments to ensure the project remains on track set for completion.
- Candidate is able to anticipate any risks and prepare ahead to solve any issues that may threaten the project deadline.
Final Tips for Hiring Remote Developers
When looking to find the best remote developer for your company, it is important that you take the time to evaluate the different candidates who have applied for the position and assess their skills.
Ensure that you are mindful of the various aspects listed above to help you make a final decision and hire dedicated remote developers who are great at their jobs and want to become a part of the development team.
